2010 Clos Samuel Viognier - SOLD OUT

5 Stars, Bob Campbell

"Very sweet wine with honeysuckle, vanilla, honey and wild flower flavours. Nicely balanced with a smooth texture and lengthy finish. Very impressive."

Clos Samuel is a special place. A lower river terrace, at the east end of the Te Arai Vineyard, it is incredibly high in silica and silt. The proximity to the Te Arai River, whose warm water give rise to morning mists in coolest part of the day, generate the favoured conditions required for the natural infection of botrytis cinerea, the noble mould found in classic wine districts. In 2010 the summer weather lingered well into April and the warmth and mists gave rise to golden, fluffy, raisined fruit with incredible flavour concentration, due to the dehydration.

Notes from the Winemaker:
The hand-selected bunches were crushed and left to soak for 24 hours to allow the juices and flavours to assimilate. Long time settling of the super sweet juice allowed the more solid material to settle before the juice underwent a very slow fermentation, each yeast cell gasping for air in its quest to produce the meagre amount of alcohol given, only to slumber in the sweet silken resting place, awaiting another season. Such sweet suffering!
Alluring in the glass with a dense golden hue, these aromas form a luscious arrangement of peach and apricot with intense dried mango and creamy butterscotch notes. Rich and vinous on the palate, the flavours haunt and linger creating a multi-layered complexity; the lower acidity preferring a partnership with brulée, blue cheese or even dark chocolate, than acidulated fresh-fruited desserts. As time passes, this wine will thicken and become quite dark.

Serve chilled. Sealed with the highest quality natural cork. Store lying down.

Drink between 2011-2021.

Wine from Certified Organic and Biodynamic Grapes.

Total acidity: 8.2 g/l pH: 3.90
Alcohol: 10.2% Vol. Residual Sugar: 180 g/l
Harvest dates: 4th May 2010
Bottled on: 17th January 2011
Released on: 1st March 2011

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes:
2009
2007